Repugs spewing that 'Bush never said imminent threat'

[kerouac]

So the criminals in the white house, the GOP, radio/tv shills, and ditto heads are spewing the same basic line -- "Bush never said Iraq was an imminent threat or imminent danger." I'm sure you've heard this line of defense for Bush's unneccessary war in Iraq.

These sheep are so busy supporting the current assault on the consitution and bill of rights by this fascist regime, you'd think they might actually have taken some time to read some of it.

The factual rebuttal to their "Bush never said imminent threat, he never used that word, blah, blah", of course, is that he didn't have to. The US -friggin- Constitution does.

U.S. Constitution
Article I.
Section. 10.
Clause 3:

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such IMMINENT Danger as will not admit of delay.

[grannylib]

1. Well I remember him saying it; there must be some footage of him some

where saying it, even if the WH has scrubbed the official transcripts of his speeches and all...let's see what we can find!

[plumbnsquare]

25. Threat or "imminent" threat

I guess it's sort of like, you know, when Clinton said that it depends on what the word "is" is.....

[alcuno]

35. It doesn't even matter (and welcome to DU)

Many here knew last year that they had crossed a line and that that was what people were hearing whenever they opened their mouths. They wanted people to think imminent threat and that's what they thought. Now they have to live with it.

BTW - There was a WH briefing at which Ari was asked if Iraq was an imminent threat and the response was "Absolutely."

[phillybri]

56. Or better yet when Clinton said he didn't have "sexual relations"...

At least when he bullshitted us, no one died...

[gWbush is Mabus]

2. YES, this is key

[bowens43]

3. no imminent threat?

Then the invasion was a violation of international law and should be prosecuted as such.

[Nite Owl]

7. Right that's

why we could no longer wait for the UN and had to go in right away.

[loudnclear]

4. It's the tactic of "re-framing" the issue. It won't work this time!

The tapes of his and his administration's speeches are devastating.

[NoPasaran]

5. If it wasn't an immenent threat

Why was Bush* in such a goddamn hurry to invade the place?

Was he afraid the French were going to beat him to it?

[pacifictiger]

9. wasn't it Cheney that actually said it

at a speech to the heritage foundation or some other such group? Then the media played it up making it already in the minds of people ready for bush to say "grave and gathering danger." I don't think Bush ever actually used imminent, but it was by implication. So now they can technically say he never said imminent - sort of the same vein as "I never had sex with that woman" Define sex, define imminent.

[stopbush]

6. The Constitution says we go to war ONLY if

1. invaded

or

2. imminent danger

Looks like neither condition existed. In fact, the bushites are now saying nothing was "imminent" and bush himself has said that SH wasn't tied to al Qaeda, so there goes any shred of rationalizing we were "invaded" on 9/11.

[Catshrink]

8. It depends on what is is....

that's what comes to mind for me.... remember how they chastised the Big Dawg for that?

I don't remember if the jackass actually used the words "imminent danger" but he sure and hell meant them!

[onecitizen]

60. He says now he used...........

"gathering" danger. Gathering is a synonym for imminent. So, he may not have said the word imminent, but he sure as hell meant imminent.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. Excuse me, but this won't wash

Too many people remember the hype before the war. All of us who protested last year knew Bush was a liar. Now the rest of the country (at least those who are awake) knows what we knew then.

[Maurkov]

11. Oct 7, 2002

He didn't say, "imminent," but after all it is three syllables.

If someone denies he meant that, I'd have to question their reading comprehension.

http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/text/1008bhsad.htm

[nostamj]

15. he certainly DID say "Direct Threat"

http://www-tech.mit.edu/V122/N46/bush__iraq.46w.html

President Bush, in a sober but chilling address, warned the public tonight that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is “a murderous tyrant” who poses an immediate threat to the United States and American lives.

Seeking to rally support for a congressional resolution that would authorize him to order unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq, Bush said, “While there are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone -- because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place. Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction are controlled by a murderous tyrant who has already used chemical weapons to kill thousands of people.”

Bush said that the resolution did not mean that war with Iraq was “imminent or unavoidable.” But, he said, it would show “the United Nations, and all nations, that America speaks with one voice.”

Bush spoke in a televised speech aides said was scheduled so that he could explain his Iraqi policy directly to the American people. While it is seems likely that the resolution Bush seeks will pass both houses of Congress by the end of the week, polls show that public support is waning. Most Americans still support war against Iraq, but have questions about its timing and the lack of support from allies. Monday night, Bush’s Democratic critics in Congress said they remained unconvinced of the need to strike immediately.

[ma4t]

12. two points

Two things to consider:

1. The citation from the U.S. Constitution is not on point. That particular clause applies to things an individual state may not do, not thing that the United States cannot do. N.B. the first few words, "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress....." (emphasis mine)

2. The uncomfortable truth is that Bush really didn't say that Iraq posed an imminent threat. He made the argument that the U.S. should deal with Iraq without waiting for the threat to be imminent. This was in response to critics who argued against action exactly because Iraq posed no imminent threat. Rather than argue about how imminent the threat was, Bush declared that the degree of "imminent-ness" was irrelevant.

[rucky]

46. EVERYBODY LISTEN TO MA4T

We need to be debating PREEMPTION. If we try to prove him wrong w/ the "imminent threat" thing, we lose that case entirely. What we're doing now is a distraction from the disasterous policies of PNAC & the Bush Doctrine.

[Beetwasher]

48. Wrong

The imminence was most certainly implied if not exactly stated.

We are NOT losing on this issue. Have you seen Bush's polls?

Every idiot in the country KNOW's the admin. was claiming an imminent threat and Dems CAN and WILL frame that debate to be about that.

Let the admin. backpeddle and parse words and semantics. They look like the lying fools they are.

For your reference and all you need to know about the admin and the imminence of the threat:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1091703

[salin]

54. indeed - the parsing of words for the word "imminent"

when... close synonyms are used instead... ends up reading as uncomfortable to the public (even for supporters) as the moment of trying to define the term is... ala it depends on what "is" "is"... maybe be legalistically correct - but doesn't sit well when the evidence starts piling up to suggest that the definition is just about legalistic technicalities.

[leftynyc]

58. I agree - the implication was definitely there. Why else

were there entire towns that ran out of duct tape?

[Bandit]

13. The key here being ~ No State shall, without the Consent of Congress,

If I remember correctly Congress gave their consent.

[leftofthedial]

14. good catch.

"imminent" required for war.

plus,

1. bush and his creatures still lied about WMD.

2. if not imminent, then war was illegal and preemptive invasion unnecessary.

[radwriter0555]

16. If saddam wasn't an imminent threat, then why did bush INVADE HIS COUNTRY?

dats the question.

[ma4t]

22. good question, here's another one

What exactly was the imminent threat to the U.S. before we:
1. invaded Haiti during the Clinton administration
2. invaded Panama under the elder Bush's administration
3. invaded Grenada under the Reagan administration
4. invaded the Dominican Republic under the Johnson administration
5. etc. you get the basic idea.

It is sad, but true, that the Iraq war really doesn't represent any thing unique in policy or practice for the U.S. to anyone who has a passing acquaintance with recent history.

[Paragon]

17. I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

Freepers like cloudy language when it helps their guy.

[bagnana]

18. There was an imminent threat : discovery of no WMD!

Bush kicked the UN inspectors out of Iraq at the height of their inspections. The UN inspections were working and the inspectors were about to find out there were no weapons.

[Melinda]

19. Rummy, Ari, Dan Bartlett and Cheney:

"No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq," Rumsfeld testified to lawmakers in September 2002.

On Oct 7, 2002, Dick Cheney warned that Saddam "could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists" like the al-Qaeda network behind the September 11, 2001, attacks.

On May 7, 2003, a reporter asked then White House spokesman Ari Fleischer: "We went to war, didn't we, to find these – because we said that these weapons were a direct and imminent threat to the United States? Isn't that true?"

"Absolutely. One of the reasons that we went to war was because of their possession of weapons of mass destruction. And nothing has changed on that front at all," the spokesman replied.

October, 2002, Reporter: “Ari, the president has been saying that the threat from Iraq is imminent, that we have to act now to disarm the country of its weapons of mass destruction, and that it has to allow the U.N. inspectors in, unfettered, no conditions, so forth.”

Fleischer: “Yes.”

January, 2003 Wolf Blitzer to Dan Bartlett: “Is an imminent threat to U.S. interests, either in that part of the world or to Americans right here at home.”

Bartlett: “Well, of course he is.”

A month after the war, another reporter asked Fleischer, “Well, we went to war, didn’t we, to find these — because we said that these weapons were a direct and imminent threat to the United States? Isn’t that true?”

Fleischer’s answer? “Absolutely.”

[Terwilliger]

20. technically, Bush did not say "imminent threat"

it was Scott McClellan

[Melinda]

21. The WH and "Imminent Threat: Quotes & link

The Bush Administration is now saying it never told the public that Iraq was an "imminent" threat, and therefore it should be absolved for overstating the case for war and misleading the American people about Iraq's WMD. Just this week, White House spokesman Scott McClellan lashed out at critics saying "Some in the media have chosen to use the word 'imminent'. Those were not words we used." But a closer look at the record shows that McClellan himself and others did use the phrase "imminent threat" – while also using the synonymous phrases "mortal threat," "urgent threat," "immediate threat", "serious and mounting threat", "unique threat," and claiming that Iraq was actively seeking to "strike the United States with weapons of mass destruction" – all just months after Secretary of State Colin Powell admitted that Iraq was "contained" and "threatens not the United States." While Iraq was certainly a dangerous country, the Administration's efforts to claim it never hyped the threat in the lead-up to war is belied by its statements.



"There's no question that Iraq was a threat to the people of the United States."
• White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan, 8/26/03


"We ended the threat from Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction."
• President Bush, 7/17/03


Iraq was "the most dangerous threat of our time."
• White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 7/17/03


"Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat to the United States because we removed him, but he was a threat...He was a threat. He's not a threat now."
• President Bush, 7/2/03


"Absolutely."
• White House spokesman Ari Fleischer answering whether Iraq was an "imminent threat," 5/7/03


"We gave our word that the threat from Iraq would be ended."
• President Bush 4/24/03


"The threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction will be removed."
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 3/25/03


"It is only a matter of time before the Iraqi regime is destroyed and its threat to the region and the world is ended."
• Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, 3/22/03


"The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder."
• President Bush, 3/19/03


"The dictator of Iraq and his weapons of mass destruction are a threat to the security of free nations."
• President Bush, 3/16/03


"This is about imminent threat."
• White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 2/10/03


Iraq is "a serious threat to our country, to our friends and to our allies."
• Vice President Dick Cheney, 1/31/03


Iraq poses "terrible threats to the civilized world."
• Vice President Dick Cheney, 1/30/03


Iraq "threatens the United States of America."
• Vice President Cheney, 1/30/03


"Iraq poses a serious and mounting threat to our country. His regime has the design for a nuclear weapon, was working on several different methods of enriching uranium, and recently was discovered seeking significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 1/29/03


"Well, of course he is.”
• White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett responding to the question “is Saddam an imminent threat to U.S. interests, either in that part of the world or to Americans right here at home?”, 1/26/03


"Saddam Hussein possesses chemical and biological weapons. Iraq poses a threat to the security of our people and to the stability of the world that is distinct from any other. It's a danger to its neighbors, to the United States, to the Middle East and to the international peace and stability. It's a danger we cannot ignore. Iraq and North Korea are both repressive dictatorships to be sure and both pose threats. But Iraq is unique. In both word and deed, Iraq has demonstrated that it is seeking the means to strike the United States and our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction."
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 1/20/03


"The Iraqi regime is a threat to any American. They not only have weapons of mass destruction, they used weapons of mass destruction...That's why I say Iraq is a threat, a real threat."
• President Bush, 1/3/03


"The world is also uniting to answer the unique and urgent threat posed by Iraq whose dictator has already used weapons of mass destruction to kill thousands."
• President Bush, 11/23/02


"I would look you in the eye and I would say, go back before September 11 and ask yourself this question: Was the attack that took place on September 11 an imminent threat the month before or two months before or three months before or six months before? When did the attack on September 11 become an imminent threat? Now, transport yourself forward a year, two years or a week or a month...So the question is, when is it such an immediate threat that you must do something?"
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 11/14/02


"Saddam Hussein is a threat to America."
• President Bush, 11/3/02


"I see a significant threat to the security of the United States in Iraq."
• President Bush, 11/1/02


"There is real threat, in my judgment, a real and dangerous threat to American in Iraq in the form of Saddam Hussein."
• President Bush, 10/28/02


"The Iraqi regime is a serious and growing threat to peace."
• President Bush, 10/16/02


"There are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place. Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists."
• President Bush, 10/7/02


"The Iraqi regime is a threat of unique urgency."
• President Bush, 10/2/02


"There's a grave threat in Iraq. There just is."
• President Bush, 10/2/02


"This man poses a much graver threat than anybody could have possibly imagined."
• President Bush, 9/26/02


"No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq."
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 9/19/02


"Some have argued that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent - that Saddam is at least 5-7 years away from having nuclear weapons. I would not be so certain. And we should be just as concerned about the immediate threat from biological weapons. Iraq has these weapons."
• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 9/18/02


"Iraq is busy enhancing its capabilities in the field of chemical and biological agents, and they continue to pursue an aggressive nuclear weapons program. These are offensive weapons for the purpose of inflicting death on a massive scale, developed so that Saddam Hussein can hold the threat over the head of any one he chooses. What we must not do in the face of this mortal threat is to give in to wishful thinking or to willful blindness."
• Vice President Dick Cheney, 8/29/02

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=5357&fcategory_desc=Iraq

*Copying allowed under "Fair Use": 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

[denverbill]

23. No direct help, but someone has a great page of quotes.

http://www.lunaville.org/WMD/billmon.aspx


Here's a good article on the subject.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8515134%255E1702,00.html

[maggrwaggr]

32. here's the list "Raindog" provided in an earlier thread

from the link provided by atrios-
for the record, the CAP has provided this list for us:

"There's no question that Iraq was a threat to the people of the United States."
- White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan, 8/26/03

"We ended the threat from Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction."
- President Bush, 7/17/03

Iraq was "the most dangerous threat of our time."
- White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 7/17/03

"Saddam Hussein is no longer a threat to the United States because we removed him, but he was a threat...He was a threat. He's not a threat now."
- President Bush, 7/2/03

"Absolutely."
- White House spokesman Ari Fleischer answering whether Iraq was an "imminent threat," 5/7/03

"We gave our word that the threat from Iraq would be ended."
- President Bush 4/24/03

"The threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction will be removed."
- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 3/25/03

"It is only a matter of time before the Iraqi regime is destroyed and its threat to the region and the world is ended."
- Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, 3/22/03

"The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder."
- President Bush, 3/19/03

"The dictator of Iraq and his weapons of mass destruction are a threat to the security of free nations."
- President Bush, 3/16/03

"This is about imminent threat."
- White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 2/10/03

Iraq is "a serious threat to our country, to our friends and to our allies."
- Vice President Dick Cheney, 1/31/03

Iraq poses "terrible threats to the civilized world."
- Vice President Dick Cheney, 1/30/03

Iraq "threatens the United States of America."
- Vice President Cheney, 1/30/03

"Iraq poses a serious and mounting threat to our country. His regime has the design for a nuclear weapon, was working on several different methods of enriching uranium, and recently was discovered seeking significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 1/29/03

"Saddam Hussein possesses chemical and biological weapons. Iraq poses a threat to the security of our people and to the stability of the world that is distinct from any other. It's a danger to its neighbors, to the United States, to the Middle East and to the international peace and stability. It's a danger we cannot ignore. Iraq and North Korea are both repressive dictatorships to be sure and both pose threats. But Iraq is unique. In both word and deed, Iraq has demonstrated that it is seeking the means to strike the United States and our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction."
- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 1/20/03

"The Iraqi regime is a threat to any American. They not only have weapons of mass destruction, they used weapons of mass destruction...That's why I say Iraq is a threat, a real threat."
- President Bush, 1/3/03

"The world is also uniting to answer the unique and urgent threat posed by Iraq whose dictator has already used weapons of mass destruction to kill thousands."
- President Bush, 11/23/02

"I would look you in the eye and I would say, go back before September 11 and ask yourself this question: Was the attack that took place on September 11 an imminent threat the month before or two months before or three months before or six months before? When did the attack on September 11 become an imminent threat? Now, transport yourself forward a year, two years or a week or a month...So the question is, when is it such an immediate threat that you must do something?"
- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 11/14/02

"Saddam Hussein is a threat to America."
- President Bush, 11/3/02

"I see a significant threat to the security of the United States in Iraq."
- President Bush, 11/1/02

"There is real threat, in my judgment, a real and dangerous threat to American in Iraq in the form of Saddam Hussein."
- President Bush, 10/28/02

"The Iraqi regime is a serious and growing threat to peace."
- President Bush, 10/16/02

"There are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place. Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists."
- President Bush, 10/7/02

"The Iraqi regime is a threat of unique urgency."
- President Bush, 10/2/02

"There's a grave threat in Iraq. There just is."
- President Bush, 10/2/02

"This man poses a much graver threat than anybody could have possibly imagined."
- President Bush, 9/26/02

"No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq."
- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 9/19/02

"Some have argued that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent - that Saddam is at least 5-7 years away from having nuclear weapons. I would not be so certain. And we should be just as concerned about the immediate threat from biological weapons. Iraq has these weapons."
- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 9/18/02

"Iraq is busy enhancing its capabilities in the field of chemical and biological agents, and they continue to pursue an aggressive nuclear weapons program. These are offensive weapons for the purpose of inflicting death on a massive scale, developed so that Saddam Hussein can hold the threat over the head of any one he chooses. What we must not do in the face of this mortal threat is to give in to wishful thinking or to willful blindness."
- Vice President Dick Cheney, 8/29/02

[elvisbear]

24. Maybe Bush pronounced imminent - "impotent"

"Saddam Hussein is an impotent threat."
• President Bush

;)

[Nlighten1]

26. I have done a lot of research on this...

as far as I can tell Bush really never said it...not that it matters...someone in his administration "did" say the exact quote but it wasn't Bush. That doesn't change the fact that neither Bush, nor anyone else in his administration, distanced themselves from this claim. The facts show that they fanned the flames.

[F.Gordon]

31. Sure. Whatever.

Can you say "imminent threat" without ever saying "imminent threat"? Why, yes. How many ways can you say "fuck you"? Bush* used them all.

Tonight I want to take a few minutes to discuss a grave threat to peace, and America's determination to lead the world in confronting that threat.
-------------
Some ask how urgent this danger is to America and the world. The danger is already significant, and it only grows worse with time. If we know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons today -- and we do -- does it make any sense for the world to wait to confront him as he grows even stronger and develops even more dangerous weapons?
------------
Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists. Alliance with terrorists could allow the Iraqi regime to attack America without leaving any fingerprints.
------------
Saddam Hussein is harboring terrorists and the instruments of terror, the instruments of mass death and destruction. And he cannot be trusted. The risk is simply too great that he will use them, or provide them to a terror network.
------------
Understanding the threats of our time, knowing the designs and deceptions of the Iraqi regime, we have every reason to assume the worst, and we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring.
------------
We could wait and hope that Saddam does not give weapons to terrorists, or develop a nuclear weapon to blackmail the world. But I'm convinced that is a hope against all evidence.
------------
The attacks of September the 11th showed our country that vast oceans no longer protect us from danger. Before that tragic date, we had only hints of al Qaeda's plans and designs. Today in Iraq, we see a threat whose outlines are far more clearly defined, and whose consequences could be far more deadly. Saddam Hussein's actions have put us on notice, and there is no refuge from our responsibilities.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8.html

I read this text and it seems pretty clear to me that Bush* sold the idea that Iraq was an imminent threat.

Bush* once referred to the words "imminent threat" as an operational phrase when addressed with the question.
He knew damn well not to use those two words together. Rove probably had a note taped to his forehead..."don't say imminent threat".

[maggrwaggr]

34. Ari Fleischer said it for him

see the "raindog" quotes I posted below (or maybe it's above)

[Nlighten1]

51. There was someone else too...

On edit

From Mediawhoresonline

White House communications director Dan Bartlett with one of those examples discussing Saddam Hussein with CNN's own Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Is he an imminent threat to U.S. interests, either in that part of the world or to Americans right here at home?

DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, of course, he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BEGALA: "Well, of course, he is." And, of course, when the White House now claims that it never said that Iraq was an imminent threat, it's misleading us again.

[Poiuyt]

27. CBS news tonight

They said that if he didn't say it, it was certainly implied. Then they showed Bush saying "...urgent threat," and Cheney saying "...immediate threat."

[Zech Marquis]

28. that's a goddamn lie!!!

the only thing we were told was,"in 45 minutes, Saddam will use such and such on us HERE..." That was the exact same excuse every repuke on my job was saying too. So NOW they're saying,"oh, we were misspoken"?! :shrug:

and to think Clinton got impeached for a blowjob... :eyes:

[jmowreader]

29. That clause doesn't apply here

This clause says that if the Chinese Marine Corps invades Oregon, the governor of Oregon can call up the National Guard to fight them off until the federal government can get some troops in to relieve them. It also says that the Governor of Texas can't call up his National Guard to attack Mexico because Juarez offends him. (I was gonna use Arnold attacking Mexico because he thought they might be making weapons of mass destruction from serrano peppers, but stopped when I remembered that Bush went to war against Iraq on an even flimsier premise.)

This clause doesn't apply to the federal government at all.

[kodi]

30. "It depends on what the meaning of imminent is."

mushroom clouds?

sweet.

[wildwww2]

33. Why pull out inspectors and drop billions of $ worth of bombs? If no

Imminent danger exsisted. So the taxpayers can pay to restock the billion $ worth of bombs and make Bu$h supporters richer. So what if we kill innocent brown people. The don`t adhere to Bu$h Co.`s religion anyway so what the heck. It is so sad. And the saddest part is so many Americans accept this. And still consider themselves to be good Christians. (Whatever that is) Of course I use to think being Christian was a good thing. I do not anymore. Just the fact that I would be aligning myself in the mind set of murderous morons like Bu$h puts a pox on the Christian religion for me. I am sorry if I offend any Christians but it`s that freedom of speech thing. And the way I feel about it. That makes me tell exactly how I feel. And Rush Limbaugh and his gang can go suck up some opium for all I care. If they do not like it.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

36. He said it in the Rose Garden.

Either "imminent threat" or ""45 minutes." Looking...

[F.Gordon]

41. Here..........

The White House released a Global Message and Bush* spoke regarding this in the Rose Garden. Can you spot the distortion?

Global Message from the White House; September 26, 2002

The danger is grave and growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons and is rebuilding facilities to make more. It could launch a biological or chemical attack 45 minutes after the order is given. The regime is seeking a nuclear bomb -- and, with fissile material, could build one within a year.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020926-19.html

Bush* speaks in the Rose Garden that same day……

The danger to our country is grave. The danger to our country is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons. The Iraqi regime is building the facilities necessary to make more biological and chemical weapons. And according to the British government, the Iraqi regime could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order were given.

(and)

The dangers we face will only worsen from month to month and from year to year. To ignore these threats is to encourage them. And when they have fully materialized it may be too late to protect ourselves and our friends and our allies. By then the Iraqi dictator would have the means to terrorize and dominate the region. Each passing day could be the one on which the Iraqi regime gives anthrax or VX -- nerve gas -- or some day a nuclear weapon to a terrorist ally.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020926-7.html

The Global Message release leaves out "And according to the British government"

Imminent essentially means, in relation to doom or misfortune, that the "event" is impending. It will most likely happen.

Bush* was VERY clear in stating that Iraq was indeed an "imminent threat".

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

42. Thanks, I guess I haven't killed all my brain cells yet.

"It could launch a biological or chemical attack 45 minutes after the order is given."

[yellowcanine]

49. Nothing "imminent" about 45 minutes

Least I didn't think so back in H.S. Latin class. I thought 45 minutes was a looooong time.

[FreakinDJ]

37. Most important BUSH LIED

What ever argument you wish to spin out of all this it is clear as can be Bush Lied to the American people.

Technically they can say he never broke the law by say "Imminent Threat" but the normal human being well perceive Bush as a liar of grim consequences.

[laruemtt]

38. when clinton was pres. it was

called parsing. damn them all to hell.

[0rganism]

39. Entertain them with this montage of what the administration DID say

http://www.mikemalloy.com/audio/lies.mp3

"Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies..."

[leesa]

40. Won't work. TRUE American patriots are not a stupid as GOP thugs

Imminent, immediate, all the same.

[underpants]

47. Exactly for "straight shooters" they sure are parsing words

I haven't seen where anyone did say "imminent threat" which is the scary part. The completely crafted their argument to make is seem like they did (see: Saddam........9/11.....) with the fallback of "oh we never said that" built in.

Most people don't want to hear that, they know what they heard and what he certainly meant.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

43. Do Republicans not even see the Supreme Irony

of their condemnation of Clinton parsing words about a blowjob

and now their heroes "parsing words" about the threat they painted now resulting in the deaths and maming of thousands?

Is there NO SENSE of irony or shame?

This does not remotely pass any common sense "smell" test. Why then did we invade if there was no "imminent threat". Oh I see it was a "grave and gathering danger." LOL if it wasn't so tragic.

[yellowcanine]

44. And they complained about Clinton parsing words over a BJ?

But it is quite ok for Shrub to parse words about lying about war.

[banana republican]

45. this is kind of like the SCOTUS

ruling on the declaration of war. The specific language does not matter; what does matter is the intent.

[OneTwentyoNine]

50. SOTU 2003....We're they all asleep as Bush rattled on about SH??

What utter,utter bullshit. SH was so freakin evil in Chimpoys SOTU speech he might even steal your kids teddy bear.


David

[proud patriot]

52. Then they are admitting Bush violated the U.S. Constitution

pure and simple .

[Cary]

53. Check out Roget's Theasauraus. . .

"imminent" is synonomous with "gathering".;-)

[gasperc]

55. well he said "gathering storm" and that dog ain't huntin either

blur, blur blur

Bush lied, people died

[phillybri]

57. Awesome find!

:kick:

[onecitizen]

59. Then they say, and even bush says...........

"I said he was a gathering danger". Well, "gathering" is a synonym for imminent. Tell 'em to look it up in a Thesaurus.